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TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 2009

DARK HORSE COMICS FOR NOVEMBER

AGE OF REPTILES: THE JOURNEY #1

Written and art by Ricardo Delgado, colored by Jim Campbell.

Dawn breaks over a sprawling forest in Cretaceous North America -- a dawn far colder than its peaceful, forest-dwelling herbivores are used to. The seasons are changing, and it's time for the able-bodied to migrate south. But the trek is a dangerous one even when massive herds band together, for while there is safety in numbers, numbers also draw attention, and the carnivores are moving in! This journey may not last long when the first hunter arrives, a ferocious tyrannosaurus rex who has her sights set on a young triceratops!

32 pages, $3.50, in stores on Nov. 4.

ALIENS #4

Written by John Arcudi, penciled by Zach Howard, inked by Mark Irwin, colored by Wes Dzioba, cover by Raymond Swanland.

Can an android dream? After waking from what appears to be just that, the android Sereda struggles with the idea that he may be more damaged than he originally thought. Still, whether it's simply his programming or a newly found free will, Sereda is hell bent on effecting the rescue of the woman whose voice brought him down into the bewildering maze of a seemingly endless necropolis. Most of the surviving planetary prospectors are willing to follow him into the labyrinth, but there are two major obstacles to the rescue mission: a horde of marauding xenomorphs, and the man who shot Sereda, who isn't about to let a damaged synthetic lead the other survivors anywhere.

40 pages, $3.50, in stores on Nov. 25.

THE BARRY WINDSOR-SMITH CONAN ARCHIVES VOLUME 1

Written by Roy Thomas, art by Barry Windsor-Smith.

In 1970, Barry Windsor-Smith burst onto the comic-book scene with his dynamic portrayal of Robert E. Howard's Conan the Barbarian, altering the course of the blue-eyed Cimmerian forever, and cementing himself as one of the greatest artists to touch pencil to paper. Nearly forty years later, Dark Horse Comics, in the tradition of the Dark Horse Archives collections, reprints Barry Windsor-Smith's entire run on Marvel's Conan the Barbarian in two fine hardcover volumes!

The first volume of The Barry Windsor-Smith Conan Archives includes such classic tales as Rogues in the House and The Tower of the Elephant, written by Roy Thomas and fully illustrated by Barry Windsor-Smith -- now presented as they were intended, remastered using the original color palette!

This volume reprints the first half of Barry Windsor-Smith's run on Conan the Barbarian.

200 pages, $49.95, in stores on Jan. 20.

BEASTS OF BURDEN #3

Written by Evan Dorkin, art by Jill Thompson.

The first feline member of the Wise Dog Society, the Orphan, takes on his first cat-only investigation, searching through the sewer tunnels for a missing, long-thought-dead witch cat. Accompanied by a tough stray, the Getaway Kid, Orphan's trek into the wet, slime, and filth will bring him more trouble than his Wise Dog hocus-pocus can protect him from -- and even if he finds the witch who's been haunting his dreams, they'll all still have to escape alive from all the dark horrors that lurk underground . . .

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 25.

BERSERK VOLUME 33

Written and art by Kentaro Miura.

Guts the Black Swordsman and his companions brave the open sea, hoping to reach Puck's homeland, Elfhelm, and its powerful elven king, who might be able to restore the sanity of Guts's former lover, Casca. But seeking out a sanctuary for Casca means that Guts must postpone his hunt for his ex-friend and leader, Griffith, who has been reborn as a demon lord hell bent on conquest. The winds of change blow fast and hard across the war-torn lands of the Holy See, and if Guts waits too long to exact his vengeance, Griffith might attain his murderous goals before Guts can return to Midland to stop him!

232 pages, black and white, $14.95, in stores on Jan. 27.

BLADE OF THE IMMORTAL VOLUME 22: FOOTSTEPS

Written and art by Hiroaki Samura.

Hiroaki Samura's latest Blade of the Immortal volume finds Manji and Rin recovering from their harrowing escape out of Edo's underground prisons and finally confronting their odd relationship. Döa and Isaku have something important to announce when Anotsu and the Itto-ryu reunite with their missing members, and Habaki Kagimura faces a death sentence! To atone for his failures and sins, Kagimura has one month to destroy Anotsu and his crew‹or Kagimura must commit suicide. With his Mugai-ryu assassins disbanded, Kagimura enlists even stranger felons than before, creating the frightening, new Rokki-dan gang. With his colorful cast expanding, Samura's knack for creating memorable characters and his masterful ability to dovetail multiple plot lines into each other are evident in this new volume, which also packs a powerful surprise ending!

232 pages, black and white, $19.95, in stores on Jan. 13.

BLOOD+ KOWLOON NIGHTS

Written and art by Hirotaka Kisaragi.

In his years as a Hong Kong police officer, Nishi Tatsuyoshi has never seen murder victims like the ones being found in the abandoned Kowloon Walled City. Bodies completely drained of blood are showing up every few nights, and rumors of vampires are swirling. The closer Nishi gets to the truth, the more obstacles are thrown in his way. Someone doesn't want him to discover what's really going on! Forced into an uneasy alliance with the Chiropteran-hunting Red Shield organization, Nishi works with a mysterious cello player named Hagi as they try to find the source of the murders and bring down the Wong family -- which peddles a miracle drug they claim will give users immortality!

176 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on Jan. 20.

B.P.R.D.: 1947 #5

Written by Mike Mignola and Johsua Dysart, art by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Mignola.

With lots of casualties on both sides, the battle with the vampires is over. Now Broom has to enlist an old friend in a bizarre exorcism to save the soul of one of the soldiers. But the exorcist himself isn't happy about the little demon Broom has adopted and has a lesson to teach Broom about battling the forces of darkness.

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 11.

BRIDE OF THE WATER GOD VOLUME 5

Written and art by Mi-Kyung Yun.

With a jealous admirer and a bitter, powerful mother plotting behind his back, Habaek's controversial decision to return Soah to his magical kingdom has the elemental gods and goddesses in an uproar. Habaek, the moody water god who rescued Soah's village from famine and drought, is also dealing with a curse that turns him into a child during the day and reverts him to his true adult form at night. While some of the inhabitants of his domain are friendly to his human bride -- and some are a bit too friendly -- Habaek has kept his curse secret from Soah, who's become completely confused by all the attention and resentment her presence brings! When night falls, Habaek pretends to be the aloof, handsome god Mui, whose irresistible charisma and flirtations with Soah have her thinking that she's about ready to cheat on her immature spouse. It may be about time for Habaek/Mui to come clean! And who's really responsible for the death of his previous human bride?

This volume reproduces four full-color pages and a handful of bonus cartoons, as found in the original Korean edition.

184 pages, black and white, $9.95, in stores on Jan. 13.

BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #30

Written by Jane Espenson, penciled by Georges Jeanty, inked by Andy Owens, colored by Michelle Madsen, covers by Jeanty and Adam Hughes.

"Retreat," part 5 of 5.
The war between Twilight's minions and Buffy's army rages in the Tibetan mountains. Bereft of their magic, the girls‹Wiccans and Slayers‹face an epic battle in which they have no hope of victory. Buffy has already done the retreat thing once, plus also put herself and her army into hiding . . . What can she do now that there is no magic to help them escape from another losing battle?

40 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 4.

CHOBITS OMNIBUS EDITION

Written and art by Clamp.

Some people buy their personal computers based on style . . . and in near-future Japan, the hottest style for your "persocom" is shaped like an attractive android! Poor student Hideki, fresh off the farm and trying to get into a Tokyo university, has neither money nor a girlfriend‹then finds a persocom seemingly discarded in an alley. Taking the cute robot home and activating it, Hideki finds her affectionate, but amnesiac, able only to say the word "Chi" -- and so he names her.

But who is this strange new persocom in his life? Instead of being his digital assistant, Hideki finds himself having to teach Chi how to get along in the everyday world, even while he and his friends try to solve the mystery of her origins. Is she one of the urban-legendary Chobits -- persocoms built to have the riskiest functions of all: real emotions, and free will?

720 pages, black and white, $24.95, in stores on Jan. 27.

CITIZEN REX #5

Written by Mario Hernandez and Gilbert Hernandez, art by Gilbert Hernandez.

Everyone who's anyone in our fair city is attending the ultra-exclusive Blanc Masque gala, forcing all of the story's competing interests into one building as plans are put in motion and deals are struck. Sergio becomes a spy, a rebuilt Rex leads a unit of floppy-bots on a frontal assault of high society, and all hell breaks loose in the private meeting room at midnight! Plus, Rex's motives revealed, and Sergio remembers how he lost his shoes.

"Free Companions," part 1 of 3. A new story arc begins, leading to Conan's tumultuous time fighting and looting with the kozaki -- a wild group of fellow mercenaries also known as the "Free Companions." Conan and his fellow warriors, regrouping and recovering from their battle with the wizard Natohk and his desert hordes, find themselves on the verge of having to serve in another war! Timothy Truman begins an original tale that will explore events alluded to in Robert E. Howard's Conan tales, and he will also share artistic duties with Argentine sensation Tomás Giorello to illustrate a time in Conan's life when he tries to keep his barbarous nature and hot temper in check in order to prove that he can be a leader of men.

40 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 18.

CREEPY TRADING CARDS

Kicking open the crypt door with the archival hardcover collections of macabre and unusual stories from Creepy, where the only "shaggy dog tale" to be found involves a werewolf or two.

Long esteemed by comics and horror fans for their deft art and twist endings, perhaps the single most stunning element of any issue of Creepy was its cover. Starting out with a memorable first-issue cover by Jack Davis, the magazine quickly found itself with none other than Frank Frazetta as its main cover artist, which was a move everyone found exciting. But Frazetta wasn't the only great cover painter -- he was followed by a host of others, such as Richard Corben and Ken Kelly, to name just two.

Another fun component to any issue of Creepy was the mail-order ads for odd merchandise from a variety of sources. These goofy ads still give one a nostalgic chuckle.

Boxed in a set of 50 cards (42 cover cards and 8 ad cards), $14.95, in stores on Jan. 27

DEADLOCKE

Written by Arvid Nelson, art by Nick Stakal, cover by Jock.

In modern-day New York City, a ragtag group of rebellious teens throws its annual raucous Weimar bash filled with debauchery, booze, and bloody knuckles. Going for the first time is Locke Vinetti, a newcomer to this band of bored rich kids‹a loner who usually prefers to escape into the world of his alter ego comic book creation, Deadlocke. Under the tutelage of the group's charming but unpredictable ringleader Casey, Locke has learned to express his art, and his angst, in ways he never thought possible. As the violent energy of Deadlocke continues to storm up inside of him, Locke must learn to control his newfound strength at the risk of losing Renee, the darkly beautiful girl of his dreams. Determined to prove that Deadlocke's rage will overpower Locke's love, Casey provokes Locke in a brutal rooftop battle where their lives, and their souls, hang in the balance.

Based on the Simon & Schuster young adult novel Venomous by Christopher Krovatin, Deadlocke teams Nelson with Stakal in a story of a young man coming to terms with his own demons in a search for his true identity.

32 pages, $3.50, in stores on Nov. 18.

DR. HORRIBLE

Written by Zack Whedon, penciled by Joelle Jones, colored by Dan Jackson, covers by Kristian Donaldson.

From the Joss Whedon-helmed webmovie Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog comes the origin story of the next greatest supervillain of all time . . . Dr. Horrible!

In this one-shot comic, Zack Whedon and artist Joëlle Jones (Token) establish how a young, impressionable, but brilliant Dr. Horrible was drawn into a world of crime. Readers are reacquainted with the charming, brawny, crime-fighting superhero extraordinaire Captain Hammer when Dr. Horrible crosses paths with his greatest enemy in an all-out showdown of immeasurable proportions. Special guest appearances include Dr. Horrible's love interest, Penny; his sidekick, Moist; and a meter man.

40 pages, $3.50, in stores on Nov. 18.

EMILY THE STRANGE: THE 13TH HOUR #3

Written by Rob Reger and Cosmic Debris, art by Buzz Parker.

When Emily awoke on the morning of her thirteenth birthday, she had no way to predict the insanity that would follow. What was supposed to be a mellow day spent celebrating with her mom and watching the solar eclipse has turned into something else entirely. Now Emily is a stranger in an even stranger land, in hot pursuit of the bizarre beast who stole the powerful heirloom watch her mysterious Aunt LaRue sent. Flying ships, talking creatures, and deadly traps are all just the start of an adventure that started in her own bedroom and now finds her standing on the precipice of her own fate, at the ancestral home of her family. Emily loves when things get weird, but is she ready for what waits for her within the walls of Blackrock?

32 pages, $3.99, in stores on Nov. 25.

END LEAGUE #9

Written by Rick Remender, penciled by Andy MacDonald, colored by Matthew Wilson, cover by Eric Canete.

With the hammer of Thor in his possession, the Smiling Man sets out to remake the world in his image, unless Codename Black can stop him. Dead Lexington's manipulations force Prairie Ghost and Brother Occult to choose between mass murder and the fate of all life on Earth. Zeus sends his only daughter, Divinity, to destroy her former allies and obtain the hammer for Olympus. Soldier American finds himself a POW of Wolfsangel -- in 1942. The deck is stacked; there is no possibility of victory -- the end draws nigh for the End League. Series finale!

40 pages, $3.99, in stores on Nov. 4.

FEAR AGENT VOLUME 5: I AGAINST I

Written by Rick Remender, art by Tony Moore.

After being shot through the other side of a black hole, Heath Huston finds himself in a shadow universe, marooned on the desolate Planet Westx. A stranger in a strange place, the last Fear Agent enters a world populated by gun-slinging robots, venomous mutants, and buxom cowgirls in this six-part sci-fi Western shot through the heart. Creators Rick Remender and Tony Moore reunite to bring you the good, the bad, and the ugly days of Heath Huston, outlaw . . . It's high noon in dead space. Collects issues #22-#27.

120 pages, $14.95, in stores on Jan. 13.

GANTZ VOLUME 9

Written and art by Hiroya Oku.

Sometimes big things come in small packages. And our Gantz hero, Kei, might want to consider that in this volume of the frantic and weird, angsty and sexy manga by Hiroya Oku.

Gantz's cross between the real world of teenage complications and the totally sci-fi concept of aliens occupying an unwitting Earth is a hit with a cross section of comics and manga readers. Each volume brings new challenges and frustrations, and plenty of sex and violence.

232 pages, black and white, $12.95, in stores on Jan. 27.

THE GOON #33

Written and art by Eric Powell, colored by Dave Stewart

The Goon goes to the dentist and finds out that the receptionist has been replaced by a sentient manatee! And the Goon hates manatees! So he punches it! The dentist doesn't like that so he kicks Goon out. Leaving him with the dilemma of how to eat candy apples with a sore tooth. Then aliens show up.

Not actual synopsis. (But that is the actual cover, so who the $@#%* knows?)

40 pages, $3.50, in stores on Nov. 25.

THE GOON VOLUME 0: ROUGH STUFF

Written and art by Eric Powell.

The Goon's earliest battles with the undead are mixed with stories of his childhood years, where we're introduced to his circus performing family, and discover how The Goon became head of a notorious crime family.
Originally a self-published, black-and-white comic series, The Goon: Rough Stuff collects the earliest stories of The Goon and his wise-cracking sidekick Franky. This re-mastered, colored edition also contains an expanded sketchbook section with notes from series creator, Eric Powell, that feature the earliest concept designs of our leading man, The Goon.

104 pages, $13.95, in stores on Dec. 30.

GROO: THE HOGS OF HORDER #2

Written by Mark Evanier, art by Sergio Aragones.

Unemployment is rising . . . debts are swelling . . . and no one can afford to buy anything. Fortunately, that's only happening in the world of Groo the Wanderer, not in real life! Breathe a sigh of sweet relief and join Groo as, aided and abetted by the award-winning team of Sergio Aragonés and Mark Evanier, he rambles across the land, adding economic destruction to the many other catastrophes that he usually spreads. Also in this issue, we meet King Huhu and learn what he has to do with the whole mess!

32 pages, $3.99, in stores on Nov. 25.

HELLBOY: THE WILD HUNT #8

Written by Mike Mignola, art by Duncan Fegredo, colored by Dave Stewart, cover by Mignola.

Hellboy finally confronts the truth about his heritage -- a moment that the mysterious Osiris Club has been anticipating for over a century, and believes heralds the final days of man! The conclusion to Wild Hunt!

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 11.

THE KUROSAGI CORPSE DELIVERY SERVICE VOLUME 10

Written by Eiji Otsuka, art by Housui Yamazaki.

The dead don't walk in Kurosagi‹that is, not without a little help . . . and it's a shock to the system when the delivery service finds out what's making their clients rise up! Then, for Numata to take off his sunglasses for anyone, it must be a grave matter . . . or, more likely, a matter of someone not yet in their grave . . .

216 pages, black and white, $10.95, in stores on Jan. 13.

RAPTURE #6

Written by Michael Avon Oeming and Taki Soma, art by Oeming, colored by Val Staples, cover by Soma.

The end of the end is near for Evelyn Town. Cannibals have slain her mother and decimated her city. A corrupted Champion has twisted the heart of the one she sought so valiantly from the beginning‹her boyfriend, Gil. Love and power are strong forces which can bring triumph or destruction. Will Evelyn and Gil recognize their gifts in time to save their world and themselves? Or, now that the former flames are reunited, will they fight to the death in the ultimate lovers' quarrel? Can the world ever recover its former glory, when utopia seemed within grasp as Champions patrolled the skies above? Or will Evelyn's and Gil's passion and anger end it all?
The final Earth-shattering issue!

32 pages, $2.99, in stores on Nov. 25.

THE SIMPSONS CLASSIC CHARACTER #6: KRUSTY THE CLOWN

Dark Horse is proud to give their unique "primitive but charming" Syroco-style treatment to one of the modern era's most iconic, if dysfunctional, families -- none other than the Simpsons. The sixth and final character in our Simpson's Classic Character series is kids-TV-show host Krusty the Clown. Springfield's entrepreneurial funnyman will do anything to make a buck no matter how shameless.

Packaged in a special litho-printed, full-color tin box with a vintage-style pin-back button and booklet, limited edition of 550 numbered pieces, $49.95, in stores on Jan. 20.

STAR WARS ADVENTURES: LUKE SKYWALKER AND THE TREASURE OF THE DRAGONSNAKES

Written by Tom Taylor, art by Daxlong.

The movie The Empire Strikes Back shows us only a small portion of Luke Skywalker's Jedi training under the tutelage of Master Yoda. In this story, witness a never-before-seen part of that training as Luke is given the task of finding -- and retrieving -- an object guarded by the deadliest creatures on the swamp world of Dagobah: the monstrous dragonsnakes! This is the most harrowing, dangerous, and muddiest mission that Luke has ever faced!

80 pages, $7.95, in stores on Jan. 20.

STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS #10

Written by Henry Gilroy and Steven Melching, penciled by Brian Kolchak, inked by Dan Parsons, colored by Michael E. Wiggam.

"Hero of the Confederacy," part 1 of 3. Anakin Skywalker, Jedi Knight and hero of the Republic, is challenged by a fledgling hero of the Confederacy!

The Confederacy is being provided with newer and more advanced ships from a world that has claimed neutrality in the Clone Wars. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi fly to Valahari to negotiate with the planet's rulers, but as events unfold, they find that diplomacy may have to give way to war!